EU diplomats manhandled by Israeli troops in West Bank

Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian during scuffles following an attempt by European diplomats to deliver goods to locals in the West Bank herding community of Khirbet al-Makhul, in the Jordan Valley September 20, 2013. (Reuters/Abed Omar Qusini) / Reuters

The European diplomats, who were trying to deliver emergency aid to the residents of a demolished Palestinian village, were manhandled by Israeli troops and their truck was seized by the IDF.

A Reuters reporter said Israeli soldiers threw sound grenades at
a group of diplomats, aid workers and locals in an incident on
Friday in the occupied West Bank.

A French female diplomat was than harshly pulled out the truck as
the military took off in the vehicle. The truck had all the
diplomats’ supplies inside, the reporter added.
"They dragged me out of the truck and forced me to the ground
with no regard for my diplomatic immunity," Marion Castaing,
French diplomat, told Reuters. “This is how international law
is being respected here.”

The Khirbet al-Makhul was demolished on Monday after Israel's
high court ruled that the village’s 120 residents didn’t have
proper building permits.

Despite losing their homes and property, the inhabitants have
refused to leave saying that their families have lived in the
area for generations.

The Israeli military has since then been thwarting all
international attempts to provide help for the people, who used
to reside in Makhul.

On Tuesday and on Wednesday, the Red Cross was stopped from
aiding the villagers as the soldiers ordered them to take down
the tents that were erected for the villagers.

Diplomats from France, Britain, Spain, Ireland, Australia and the
EU’s political office brought more supplies to the West bank on
Friday.

But, as soon as they arrived, about a dozen Israeli army jeeps
converged on them, with the troops ordering them not to unload
their truck, Reuters reports.

“It's shocking and outrageous. We will report these actions to
our governments,” an unnamed EU diplomat told the agency.
“[Our presence here] is a clear matter of international
humanitarian law. By the Geneva Convention, an occupying power
needs to see to the needs of people under occupation. These
people aren't being protected.”

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said
in a statement that Makhul has become the third Bedouin community
to be demolished by the Israelis in the West Bank and adjacent
Jerusalem municipality since August.

Palestinians accuse the Israeli authorities of progressively
taking their historical lands, while the Jewish state claims the
demolition of villages are aimed at ending “the spread of
illegal building” by the Bedouin and “better integration
of the Bedouins into Israeli society.”

Israel and Palestinian resumed direct peace talks in August after
a three-year hiatus in negotiations. An unnamed EU diplomat
stressed that “what the Israelis are doing is not helpful to the
negotiations.”
“Under any circumstances, talks or not, they're obligated to
respect international law,” he added.

The assault on the diplomats is a huge “own goal” on the
part of Israel and “even people who are sympathetic to Israel
will find this treatment of European diplomats absolutely
shocking and inexplicable,” human rights activist Peter
Tatchell told RT.

“You would think that these countries [which saw their
diplomats’ immunity violated] would protest in the strongest
possible terms and withhold Israeli ambassadors in their
countries before the foreign ministers and give them a proper
dressing down, because this is no way to treat foreign diplomats.
It defies all conventions and protocols between countries,”
he stressed.